While all eyes look to the skies, navy prepares its own surprises
Israel Hayom | While all eyes look to the skies, navy prepares its own surprises.
When Lt. Col. Eyal screams “FIRE!!!” at the top of his lungs, everyone takes him seriously, even though the intended target is imaginary. Military drills aboard a naval gunship are not like tank exercises, where dozens of tanks fire at targets at the order of numerous commanders who must navigate the plumes of smoke and the chaos on the ground. At sea, everything is sterile. At most there are a handful of (the most cutting edge) battleships, several fighter jets simulating imaginary missiles and one naval helicopter that lands on the gun ship like it was an airport, only to immediately take off again to gather more intelligence, like a bird flying to gather food for its fledglings.
The drill is nothing more than a sophisticated computer game. No missiles are launched, mainly because every Harpoon costs more than $1 million – an expenditure that is too pricey for an exercise. The soldiers go through the motions of battle, but it is the closest thing to actual war, including everything but actually pressing the launch button.
The scripted back story is all too familiar. The IDF has been engaged in fighting in Lebanon for 48 hours. Syria has joined the hostilities in the last 24 hours. Hezbollah doesn’t really have a navy, so the only military threat at sea is that posed by Syria. The Syrians have over 25 gunships in service, all of them either Soviet-era or post-Soviet era, nearly all of them antiquated.
These antiquated vessels are facing a fleet of 13 Israeli gunboats belonging to the Shayetet 3 naval commando unit. Most of the gunboats are Sa’ar 4.5 class missile boats, and three of the boats are Sa’ar 5 class, the newest model, which were manufactured in the United States in the 1990s. Despite the numerical disadvantage, it is clear that the good guys will win. Did anyone really think otherwise?
The Lebanon trauma
Lt. Col. Eyal is the deputy commander of the Shayetet commando gunship unit. He is overseeing the drill, since the commander of the unit was not supposed to be present. We are on the INS Hanit, the ship whose mention causes quite a number of navy and military figures to grow queasy. Nearly six years have passed since that tragedy that claimed the lives of four soldiers who did not survive the maritime missile attack launched by Hezbollah during the Second Lebanon War. The wound is still fresh, even though the hole that was blown open in the rear of the ship has since been sealed up and the soldiers who were aboard the ship during the war have either long been discharged or promoted to other positions.
Over the last 18 months, the commanding officer of the Hanit has been 38-year-old Lt. Col. C., married, with three children. He lives in the Haifa suburb of Nesher, not far from the naval base. He is not too eager to discuss the disaster that befell the Hanit during the Second Lebanon War.
“One of the main reasons that the strike on the ship resonated so much was because the public believed that gunships could not be damaged,” he said. “People need to understand that just like tanks can be hit, and just like soldiers in Golani are vulnerable to attack, the same goes for battleships. It is easier to understand this when you are running up a hill with a weapon and you are being shot at, but at sea the threat is ever present.”
The commanders huddle in what is termed a “battle information center”, a dark war room that looks a lot like the setting of a scene in a movie, only this one is real. Black computer monitors adorn the walls, and the screens show colorful dots that move around. “It looks like a computer game, but this is really a game of wits,” said Col. David Salameh, the commander of Shayetet 3. Salameh is using a pointer which he aims at the computer screens. “It may look like we are waging war with computer and plasma screens, but these dots represent actual boats, and only here can we get a complete picture,” he said.
Our glimpse into the inner workings of this drill is extraordinary. An exercise on this scale, which is staged once every few months, is usually kept secret. A special “administrative committee” headed by an officer bearing the rank of lieutenant-colonel is responsible for organizing the drill, and the scenario is “played out” on the computer screen. For an observer, it could be quite difficult to grasp what is going on, although it’s clear that the red dots on the screen represent the Syrians and we are the blue dots. All of the “friendly ships” are yellow, friendly meaning that they are merchant ships and those belonging to the U.S. naval fleet. Intelligence officials say the Americans have increased their presence in the region as of late. It is not difficult to guess why.
Obviously not all warships in the Shayetet missile boat fleet are taking part in the drill. A few of them are on active duty. Some of the participating ships are simulating the actions of the Syrian fleet in order to make the exercise as real as possible. Aside from the missile boats, a number of ships from the commando naval unit and a submarine – one of four Dolphin subs current in commission – are also integrated into the drill. At times it is assigned the role of “good guys” while at other times it plays “the bad guys.”
The maneuvers undertaken by the “Syrian” vessels are mapped out by the drill’s administrative council, which relies on a portfolio full of possible “situations and responses” that accurately and credibly simulate the capabilities of the Syrian fleet. The council commanders, who are overseeing the drill from the Hanit’s combat information center, are also responsible for the launch of hostile missiles at naval ships from Syrian boats as well as warplanes. They also decide which Israeli vessels are hit during battle, the severity of the blow, and the number of casualties.
The commanders of the Israeli ships have no prior knowledge of what actions the “Syrian” vessels will take, where they will take them, and when they will take them, so the element of surprise is very real. The drill takes place within Israel’s maritime boundaries, though the names of the towns along the Israeli coast are replaced with Syrian town names for the purposes of this exercise.
The most advanced means: Secrecy
While calibrating the electronic systems aboard the Hanit, Lt. Col. C. tells us that this steel monstrosity, the Sa’ar 5, boasts a number of layers of defense intended to shield it from a missile attack. It is equipped with electronic combat systems, a diversionary mechanism designed to cheat radar-guided cruise and heat-seeking missiles, and Barak missiles designed to intercept other missiles. The Sa’ar also possesses significant offensive capabilities, including eight Harpoon sea-to-sea missiles, torpedo missiles, and a Vulcan rotary cannon.
Lt. Col. C. is interrupted by a strong jolt which rocks the ship. “What’s that?” someone in the dark war room asks. Lt. Col. C. wastes no time in bolting for the rear of the ship. After a few minutes, he returns, out of breath. He said that it appears to have been a supersonic boom created by one of the fighter jets which flew above. “Such booms are heard on the ships often,” he said. “Even a large wave can create them. But you have to make sure that nothing actually happened.”
Air force fighter jets are tasked with simulating Yakhont cruise missiles, the Russian-made projectile that was procured by Damascus despite massive diplomatic efforts by Israel to prevent the deal from being carried out. For the Syrians, the Yakhont is a significant upgrade from the C-802, the missile that hit the Hanit during the Second Lebanon War, inflicting tremendous damage.
The Yakhont is capable of hitting warships from a maximum distance of 300 kilometers from the coast, but the biggest challenge that it poses the Israel Navy is its speed. The Yakhont is a supersonic missile, making it difficult for warships to evade it. The fact that it is also capable of traveling at an altitude of 10 meters above the surface of the sea makes it nearly undetectable by radar.
The commander of Shayetet 3 says that the navy has developed new and improved methods to cope with this advanced missile. “The question is who will catch up to whom from a technological standpoint,” he said. “We have become familiar with the Yakhont for months now, and that is a long time when talking about missiles. We have a number of missiles that are capable of countering the Yakhont as well as other enemy missiles.”
Praise from the IDF chief of staff
The time is now 4:30 P.M. We are three hours away from zero hour, when the Israeli fleet will strike the “Syrian” fleet. Commanders aboard the warships that are simulating Syrian vessels have no idea when an attack will occur.
Now all of the systems are calibrated and online, ready for action. The waiting period allows the commanders and soldiers to read a bit and eat a late lunch in the gunship’s mess hall. The food here isn’t bad at all. Some may even say it’s better than what other units have to offer. The menu here includes two kinds of meat, rice, potatoes, and a choice of salads.
During periods of combat, the mess hall could be quickly converted into a makeshift floating hospital. On board one can find the most advanced equipment that the Medical Corps could offer. “Theoretically, if the Shayetet 13 brings us a seriously wounded person from a distant operation, we could treat him on the spot and buy enough time so that a helicopter could evacuate him and transport him to a hospital on land,” said Lt. Col. C.
Salameh, the commander of Shayetet 3, relishes the atmosphere of secrecy that enshrouds his unit. “We can be found at every basin in the Middle East, including the south,” he said. “It’s no secret that we sail the Suez Canal. I mean, we are seen there often, but what happens beyond the canal is classified. If people found us there, then you would hear about it more often. We have perfected the art of doing things underneath the ‘noise threshold.’ We are always either preparing for an operation, or in the midst of one.”
Salameh, 43, is one of the more promising and valued officers currently moving up the Navy’s chain of command. He cut his teeth in Shayetet 13, where he spent 10 years. After his stint there, he took up a post in gunships. He also commanded the naval base in Ashdod. The sea courses through his veins. He named his oldest daughter Dolphin, his middle daughter Dar (which means “mother-of-pearl” in English), and his youngest daughter Reef.
“The Shayetet participates in every naval operation,” Salameh said. When he says Shayetet he means only Shayetet 3. “If you hear about something in the media, it’s about Shayetet 13. Nobody talks about us. But there are almost no naval operations that don’t involve a gunboat. The public doesn’t understand the possibilities that are out there at sea, the strategic depth it gives us. There are things that one can see only from the sea, and not from any point on land. The air force has its limitations, like the weather and the short duration that planes can remain in the air. For us, weather conditions are almost no factor, and we can stay in one place for an extended period of time without anyone noticing us. We recently returned from such an operation – the mission was accomplished successfully.”
Naval officers proudly recalled how the IDF chief of staff recently paid a visit to the Hanit, where he told soldiers that the navy was the most active of all the commissioned departments in the military and that Shayetet 3 was the most active unit in the entire IDF. Because of the sensitive nature of its operations and the secrecy surrounding its activities, the unit’s soldiers often times do not know the nature of what they are doing.
“When an operation begins, the mood changes,” said First Lt. Elad Levy. “Everybody knows exactly what they need to do, but we don’t always know the big picture. Sometimes they keep us out of the loop, let us try to imagine what is taking place. Other times we know what is going on, but they keep our subordinates out of the loop. Everybody knows what job it is they have to do, nothing more.”
“Usually, the sailors on board only know which coast they are facing,” said Lt. Col. C. “Sometimes the commander of the gunship doesn’t even know the target of the operation.”
“The Bat helicopter is a part of us”
The clock reads 18:30, just 45 minutes before zero hour. The commanders are once again huddled in the combat information post, where they are synchronizing the electronic warfare equipment, the communications equipment, and the radars. “We need to get to zero hour when we are capable of launching an effective attack on the Syrian targets,” Salameh says. “We need to synchronize all the equipment. It’s an operation that requires planning ahead. We need to envision where the enemy will be and the most effective way to hit him. They won’t just stand still like sitting ducks in one spot and at a time that is convenient for us. We need to find that precise window of opportunity that will allow us to hit them in the best possible way.”
The combat information post is beginning to develop a clear “maritime picture” that will allow the commanders to determine the precise location of the Syrian ships. This information will make an attack on these ships easier. To that end, the navy deploys “The Bat” – a naval reconnaissance and patrol helicopter that until now has been parked in the rear of the ship in the exact spot damaged by the missile in 2006.
The Bat plays an important role in spotting targets, or, as Lt. Col. C. calls it, “seeing beyond the horizon.” The chopper obtains invaluable intelligence on the location of warships, which is sometimes impossible to ascertain solely through standard equipment. It can also be utilized in search and rescue operations.
The Bat is deployed on Sa’ar 5 warships as well as one of the older Sa’ar 4.5 models. It has been in commission since the mid-1990s, when the navy replaced the older Dolphin model choppers. The helicopter is operated by two pilots and another naval officer on board to assist. There are instances in which an IAF search and rescue officer is added to the staff. All on board are experienced in piloting helicopters, and have undergone training in landing choppers aboard gunships, a skill that requires a great deal of practice. They are constantly vacillating between the terrestrial-based air squadrons and the gunships at sea. Although they technically report to their commanders in the IAF, their activities and training are done under the auspices of the navy.
“The synchronization between the soldiers aboard the gunship and the pilots of The Bat is very complex and it entails a great deal of training,” says Lt. Col. C. “From our standpoint, The Bat is a part of the gunship. It’s part of us.”
The commanders aboard guide the helicopter to a number of points suspected of being the locations of Syrian vessels. This information is critical in planning the attack. Our photographer joins a Bat sortie and, for the first time ever, brings us aerial photographs of the gunboat.
A few minutes into the aerial patrol, the helicopter returns to the ship. The troops on board move into high alert. The gunboat slows down, the doors leading to the rear of the ship close shut, and a sign forbids sailors from approaching the landing area. The officer responsible for landing the chopper, First Lt. Levy, stands alongside the landing pad dressed in a bright-orange vest, signaling for the helicopter to land. His movements are sharp and direct, long enough and forceful enough to be seen from the air. The minute he suspects that the helicopter’s landing conditions are optimal, he will make a sharp gesture downward, and the helicopter will hit the landing pad in one fell swoop. Touch down.
Levy gives the signal to a few soldiers who are standing behind him holding ropes to approach the landing pad and anchor the chopper to the ship. He signals again for the soldiers to fetch more ropes to tie down the helicopter. It is only after the second round of rope that the pilots disembark from the helicopter and are greeted by warm hugs and pats on the shoulder.
“The landing on the ship is very challenging and difficult,” says the pilot, Major Erez. “Think of it as trying to park a car, while everything that can move around you, is in fact moving. The highway, the car. You have no control over your car. This is what happens here. The gunship continues to sail, the sea is moving, there are gusts of wind, and the helicopter is airborne. It is a very extreme situation. A tiny mishap could end very badly.” Try it once on a computer game and you will understand what we are dealing with.
“Not all ships see what is seen in the command room, and this can be at times frustrating,” the deputy commander of Shayetet 3, Lt. Col. Eyal says. “The communication system is complex, and there are mishaps. As a commander it is important that everyone understands who is in charge, who directs whom, and what the priorities are. The big challenge is to get everyone to see the complete maritime picture in the same way.”
The assault is meticulously planned. Capt. Yoav, 24, a tall, blonde officer, is responsible for providing the target lists to each of the participating warships in the exercise. He decides which ship shoots at which target, and when. The officer who approves the target list is the commander of the exercise.
Just like a computer game
The time is 7:15 P.M. Darkness slowly descends on the water. We are 100 kilometers off the Israeli coast. Nothing but sea is visible on the horizon. IDF warships form an attack position, and wait. Then, the signal is given.
“All troops, pay attention: Go to your target now!” Lt. Col. Eyal can be heard screaming through the radio system. As Salameh put it, “Everyone is in a frenzy.” All of the warships launch a barrage of virtual Harpoon missiles aimed at enemy targets that were chosen for destruction on the initial wave. The helicopter is once again sent into the air.
A few minutes later, the warships accelerate. The goal is to cut off enemy boats in order to destroy them.
Not everything goes smoothly, of course. If it did, there would be no point in holding the exercise. The “Syrians” are no suckers. Just a short time after the initial barrage of missiles, they retaliate with everything they have in their arsenal, including Yakhont missiles, C-802 and C-704 land-to-sea missiles, as well as the less sophisticated missiles in their arsenal.
“They’re shooting at us!” screams a loud voice that can be heard coming from the combat information post. Then somebody yells: “Yakhont airborne!” For a moment, it feels like the real thing. The thought that an advanced missile is about to strike the ship is not a pleasant one, even if it the whole thing is just an exercise.
Everyone’s eyes remain glued to the computer screens, monitoring the red dots – enemy ships – with apprehension. The dots flash on and off, just like in a computer game. The adrenaline in the room is so thick you could cut it with a knife. Code names are thrown about, warship numbers, names of missiles. Commands and instructions can be heard coming from every direction, all jumbled together with the communication radios.
“What about 11?”
“Guys, there’s a Yakhont in the air, 6 is down.”
“Get assault assistance!”
“Two missiles are out!”
“Yoav, prepare an attack,” Capt. Yoav is instructed by the Shayetet commanders. They go from target to target in a surgical manner, making sure to destroy each and every one of them.
The watchmen report a direct hit on enemy targets, but the “Syrian” army is beefing up its forces in the combat zone. Its soldiers are firing land-to-sea missiles and sea-to-sea missiles that are hitting some of the Israeli vessels, causing them extensive damage.
The dot was stopped, and the battle won
The clock reads 7:55 P.M. After 40 minutes in which both sides exchanged volleys of missiles, most of the red dots on the computer screens of the combat information post are no longer flashing.
“Guys, we are missing one target,” someone from the command post says. Suddenly, all eyes are affixed to the screens.
The Bat, which was hovering over the combat zone for the entire duration of the battle, is sent to track down the missing target. Within a short period of time, it spots the target. The Israeli gunboats open fire, and it, too, ceases moving.
The battle has been decided, and the reds were defeated. This is the time for a casualty count, a time to fix the damage and to rearm. We ask how many casualties there were and how much damage was done, but this is information that they are not ready to divulge. As Salameh put it, “Like in all wars, it’s impossible to expect everyone to return home safely. But I have no doubt that even if there are casualties, our victory will be clear and decisive.” We didn’t think otherwise.
A few moments later, Salameh retires to a tiny room nearby and takes a telephone call. The commander of the navy is on the other end of the line. He speaks quietly, and those present realize that the next mission has changed. To be more precise, it has been moved up. By the gist of his remarks, we can ascertain that this is another one of the classified missions assigned to the gunships of the Shayetet.
“Are you all serious?” the commander whispers into his earpiece, breaking out a half-smile. No change in mission surprises him. Judging by his hand motions, his people know what he is talking about. Just before hanging up the phone, they leave the room and “go to work.” In other words, they head out to give instructions for the next operation. Ostensibly, it is an operation you won’t hear anything about.
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